In the history of Germany's Metal music culture, many great things have spewed forth since the days when Tormentor came into existence way back in 1982 and released the Blitzkrieg (1983) and End of the World (1984) demos. 10 years later people saw the birth of an infamous German group called Drowned, which formed in Berlin in 1992. After several demos and an EP, it was about time to get the first full-length studio album out after more than 22 years of teasing the metal community.

Idola Specus is the mysterious Latin title of this deranged and putrid-sounding debut album on which the Drowned troops have taken a path similar to the one US Death Metal warriors Incantation have trampled for many years. Combined with a touch of Abhorrence, you get the idea these German want their Death Metal to be crushing, pulverizing and simple. Drowned will appeal, first and foremost, to fans of old school Death Metal for whom names such as Krypts, Incantation, Sadistic Intent and Abhorrence will be nothing new.

Measured by any existing standards, Idola Specus is one of the most important and impressive Death Metal albums of 2014.